Friday, November 3, 2017

Could be some of the last funding for climate change research

EDITOR’S
NOTE: Under the Trump budget, ALL
federal funding for this program will be eliminated. It’s great that DEM is
getting this grant but until the check clears the bank, I wouldn’t be too sure
about the funding to actually go through and not be rescinded. – Will Collette

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM)
announced today that it has been awarded a $500,000 a federal research grant to
lead a nation-wide study examining strategies to enhance salt marsh resilience
against the effects of climate change.

This two-year study being led by the Narragansett Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), which is managed by DEM, will evaluate thin
layer sediment placement as an adaptation strategy to improve marsh resilience
against rising sea levels.

As part of the national effort, this study will involve eight
other National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) sites across the country. The
NERR system is a state-federal partnership program established between NOAA and
the coastal states to preserve and protect coastal lands for long-term research
and education.

While salt marshes are one of the most productive ecosystems on
earth and provide important economic and environmental benefits, they are being
threatened by rising sea levels.

Because they exist along a very narrow elevation zone, when
flooded with water for too long, or too often, they will eventually drown.

In many places, increasing rates of sea-level rise are outpacing
the marshes' natural ability to adapt, negatively affecting their resiliency
and the wildlife that depend on them.

With this grant, researchers at the Narragansett Bay NERR on
Prudence Island will evaluate how marshes respond to the addition of various
amounts of sediment at different marsh elevations and compare these results to
similar work being done by project partners across the country.

Another important feature of the project is the use of a
collaborative process that will engage end users throughout the project,
helping to ensure the achievement of outcomes that meet the needs of coastal
managers.

"Our marshlands are beautiful, important places that need
to be protected," said DEM Director Janet Coit. "Given their location
at the intersection of the land and sea, marshes are invaluable to our
environment and economy: nurturing wildlife, contributing to cleaner waters,
and helping to protect our infrastructure. They are also vulnerable to a
changing climate and rising waters. Through our Narragansett Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve, we are pleased to join partners from across the
nation in studying ways to safeguard these precious resources. Rhode Island continues
to be at the forefront of climate action and research – a credit to the
consequential work of the Reserve and many other partners. We must remain
vigilant."

This project is supported by the NERRS Science Collaborative – a
NOAA-funded program administered by the University of Michigan Water Center.
The primary goal of the Collaborative is to support research that informs
coastal management and improves long-term stewardship of the nation's
estuaries.

Established in 1980, NBNERR includes coastal lands on Prudence,
Patience, Hope and Dyer Islands. The Reserve manages these valued coastal
habitats for long-term sustainability and draws on local and national resources
to conduct and support estuarine research and to develop tools and training for
informed Bay management.

The Reserve serves as a living laboratory for educational
programs for all ages; it also provides access for passive public recreation,
including birding, hiking, and fishing.

To learn more about this project, visit DEM's Facebook page for
an interview with research coordinator, Dr. Kenneth Raposa. Follow DEM on
Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.